Latent heat

Latent heat describes the amount of energy in the form of heat that is required for a material to undergo a change of phase. Two latent heats are typically described. One is latent heat of melting, and the other is latent heat of evaporation.

They are so named as to describe the direction of heat flow from one phase to the next:

solid → liquid → gas.

The energy change is endothermic when going from solid to liquid to gas, but exothermic when going in the opposite direction.

Latent heats and change of phase temps of common fluids and gases
Substance Latent Heat
Melting
J/g
Melting
Temp
°C
Latent Heat
Boiling
J/g
Boiling
Temp
°C
Alcohol, ethyl 108 -114 855 78.3
Ammonia 339 1369
Carbon Dioxide 184 574
Helium 21
Hydrogen 58 -259 455 -253
Nitrogen 25.7 -210 200 -196
Oxygen 13.9 -219 213 -183
Toluene 351
Turpentine 293
Water 335 0 2272 100

For example, in the atmosphere when a molecule of water evaporates off the surface of any body of water, heat is transported by the water molecule into a lower temperature air parcel that contains more water vapor than its surroundings. Because energy is needed to turn water into water vapor, water vapor is a way for a body to release energy. If the water vapor is returned to a liquid or solid phase (by condensation or sublimation), the stored energy is released as sensible heat onto the surface where condensation (or sublimation) has occurred.

See also

External links

es:Calor latente fr:Chaleur latente it:Calore latente pl:Ciepło utajone

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